Florida Weekends[1]

Lakeland Area

Lakeland, Cypress Gardens, Winter Haven & Lake Wales

Listen to where thou art sitting under the glassy, cool, translucent wave. Goddess of the silver lake, listen and save.

– John Milton

Sweet Dreams

Chalet Suzanne

We don’t mind admitting that we are Chalet Suzanne fans from way back, when we used to land at the inn’s own grass strip in our Cessna 310. Its hospitality heritage goes back to the 1930s, when Bertha Hinshaw began serving meals to the few passers-by on what was then a remote byway. One of her visitors was food writer Duncan Hines, who recognized her as a gracious hostess and a superb cook. She had collected a wealth of recipes in her world travels and, now widowed, she needed them to shepherd her family through the Depression.

Still operated by the Hinshaw family, the inn’s food is always showered with awards and plaudits. Its lodgings long had to play catch-up, but loyal fans continued to come even when things could be described as shabby gentility. Today the inn shines. It will never compare to newly built places with their big bathrooms and fancy fitness facilities, but neither can modern buildings replicate the age-old charm and quirky surprises of this fairy tale village. The inn’s 2,450-foot airstrip is available to private planes.

Rooms have cable television, air conditioning, and telephone. A decanter of sherry and a little bowl of fruit are placed in each room to welcome you. And every room is different. Really different. Some have doors that lead nowhere and balconies you can’t get to or a sweet little sleeping loft for the kids. Shop the pottery and antique shop, stock up on Chalet Suzanne soups, and splurge on dining in one of Florida’s top restaurants. The grounds are filled with gardens, there’s a swimming pool, and you can fish in the lake if you like.

• On US 27, southwest of Orlando and southeast of Cypress Gardens. Mailing address is PO Drawer AC, Lake Wales 33859. 941-676-6011; Web site www.chaletsuzanne.com; e-mail info@chaletsuzanne.com.

• Rooms: 30

• Rates: $159-$219, including full breakfast and gratuity.

• Credit cards: MC, V

• Dining: The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Drive to other area restaurants.

• Children: $12 for each additional person per room.

• Pets: No.

• Parking: Ample.

• In the neighborhood: Bok Tower Gardens, Cypress Gardens.

Highland Park Hills Inn & Golf Course

This is the old Florida where Grandmother and Grandfather spent their honeymoon, a charming inn with hardwood floors, built beside a golf course that was completed in 1927. The inn and grounds were rescued by a Pennsylvania family, who brought it back from a near-derelict state and still operate the resort with loving care. The inn’s restaurant, LekaricA (the owners’ children are named Leslie, Kara, and Eric) is popular with central Florida locals, who also come here to rent a lakefront apartment for a fishing vacation. Swim in the heated pool, play one of the three championship croquet courts, or play tennis or shuffleboard as well as the 18-hole par 72 golf course. Enjoy an after-dinner brandy poolside or in the lobby, which has six impressive chandeliers.

• 1650 S. Highland Park Dr., Lake Wales 33853. From Lake Wales, head south on US 27 after crossing Route 60, then go left on Route 17B for one mile. At the blinking red light turn right. Drive almost a mile, then turn left at the Highland Park Hills sign. 888-676-8291 or 941-676-8281; fax 941-676-8492; Web site www.highlandparkhills.com; e-mail marketing@ highlandparkhills.com.

• Rooms: 37

• Rates: $85-$150; continental breakfast is included in all rates. Ask about golf packages. Rooms, suites, and efficiencies are available by the day, week, or month.

• Credit cards: MC, V, AE, DISC

• Dining: Superb dining on-site.

• Children: Yes.

• Pets: No.

• Parking: Ample.

• In the neighborhood: Bok Tower Gardens, Cypress Gardens. Downtown Lake Wales has antique shops and specialty stores. Walt Disney World is 45 minutes away; Tampa one hour.

Holly Garden Inn

Innkeepers Camilla and Wes Donnelly both work at Walt Disney World, so they can give you the inside skinny on when and how to see the theme parks. Their home, built in 1924, has been caringly restored and furnished with antiques. Fresh flowers greet your arrival in your room, where you can have breakfast if you don’t want to eat in the dining room. All rooms have a private bath. Gourmet, diet, and vegetarian tastes can be accommodated. Coffee, tea, snacks, fruit and non-alcoholic beverages are available for guests. The inn is open to the public for lunch. Don’t miss a chance to try the signature chicken salad – it’s made with pecans and oranges and served with homemade corn pudding.

• 106 S. First St., Haines City 33844, southwest of Orlando in the heart of lake and citrus country. From I-4, take the US 27 exit and head south. 941-421-9867; fax 941-421-9867.

• Rooms: 5

• Rates: From $89, including breakfast.

• Credit cards: AE, MC, V, DC

• Dining: Drive to chain restaurants along US 27.

• Children: No.

• Pets: Outdoors only.

• Parking: Provided.

• In the neighborhood: This is a good place to headquarter for the theme parks, well out of the madding crowd. It’s only 30-40 minutes from Walt Disney World; Bok Tower and Cypress Gardens are about 20 minutes away.

Tables For Two

Chalet Suzanne

A consistent winner since the 1930s, Chalet Suzanne was first listed in Duncan Hines’Adventures in Good Eating and it hasn’t missed a guidebook since. Meals always begin with the signature Romaine Soup, served in a pottery bowl made on the grounds. It’s just one of the unique, gourmet soups developed here that have been served on Eastern Airlines, governors mansions nationwide, and on the Apollo 15 flight to the moon. The wine list is as long as a bridal train.

First-timers don’t realize that there are more courses than are described on the menu. Pace yourself for a six-course feast that begins with the Chalet’s famous broiled grapefruit, followed by soup, salad, a sorbet intermezzo and the main course from a choice of chicken Suzanne, shrimp curry, Maine lobster newburg, lump crab in herb butter, broiled shad roe, lamb chop grill, or filet mignon. Rolls and butter and crêpes come with the meal and dessert is included. For children there is a choice of ham or chicken, but we don’t recommend bringing the kids; they’ll soon lose interest in the long parade of courses. This is a night to remember, and you shouldn’t be hurried. Fly-in visitors can land on the 2,450-foot grass runway, 18-36; they can contact the inn on Unicom 122.8. Lights are available.

Bouillabaisse Floridienne Chalet Suzanne

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 cup chopped mushrooms

3 medium onions, thickly sliced

3 cloves garlic, halved

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 small bay leaf

1 teaspoon saffron

2 cans Chalet Suzanne Seafood Mushroom Soup

1 pound haddock, cut into 2-inch chunks

1 pound raw shrimp, shelled and deveined

2 cups cubed potatoes (3/4-inch dice)

1/3 cup dry Sauterne

1 teaspoon chopped parsley

1 medium tomato, cut into thin wedges

Sauté onions, garlic and mushrooms in oil in a large kettle until tender. Add the salt, pepper, bay leaf, saffron, and soup. Heat to boiling. Add the seafood and potatoes and simmer, covered, 15-20 minutes. Add the wine, parsley, and tomato. Heat thoroughly and serve in deep bowls. Serves 6-8.

• 3800 Chalet Suzanne Dr., Lake Wales, 45 minutes south of Walt Disney World off US 27. 941-676-6011 or 800-433-6011; Web site www.chaletsuzanne.com; e-mail info@chaletsuzanne.com.

• Hours: Breakfast, 8am-9:30am; lunch, noon-5pm; dinner, 5:30-9pm.

• Prices: Lunch, $29-$46; dinner, $59-$79, not including wine

• Reservations: Recommended.

• Credit cards: MC, V

Lavender & Lace Tea Room

A cottage in the Brigadoon-like village of Lake Alfred (it’s known for its antiques shops) has been turned into an enchanted tearoom, restaurant and antique shop. Ask about special candlelight dinners held once a month.

• 430 N. Lakeshore Way, Lake Alfred, west of Haines City on US 17-92. From I-4, take Route 557 south to Lake Alfred. 941-956-3998.

• Hours: Lunch, Monday-Saturday, 11am-3:30pm.

• Prices: Luncheon entrées range from $6.95-$9.95.

• Credit cards: MC, V

Lekaric: A Country Inn, Restaurant & Golf

Tables clothed in starchy linen set the scene for a dining adventure that continues to win awards from grateful locals. Start with shrimp in dill butter or Louisiana griddled crab cakes. The baked Bermuda onion soup au gratin is a meal in itself, and the appetizers can be ordered in dinner-size portions. The house salad is Florida greens with a dressing made from balsamic vinegar, sun-dried tomatoes, sesame, and honey. Both this salad and the Caesar can be ordered with grilled chicken or salmon on top. Main dishes may include rack of lamb, veal chop Milanese in a white wine butter sauce with tomatoes and garlic, a mesquite-grilled Delmonico steak, macadamia-crusted grouper, or tournedos of beef with wild mushroom strudel and pâté de foie gras. For the truly adventurous, there’s tenderloin of ostrich, grilled over applewood and served with a shallot-port wine sauce. Desserts shine, from the Key lime pie to the lemon-blueberry tart. A standout is the Bok’s Chocolate Tower, a tower of dark or white chocolate filled with creamy mousse. The resort and restaurant overlook 400-acre Lake Easy. Dine indoors or on the deck with a view of the pool and lake.

• 1650 S. Highland Park Dr., Lake Wales, in the Highland Park Hills Inn. 941-676-8281.

• Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 11am-2pm and 6-9pm. Sunday brunch, 11am-2:30pm

• Prices: $20-$25 per person for dinner; $10-$15 for lunch. Children’s choices are half-price.

• Reservations: Appreciated.

• Credit cards: MC, V, DISC, AE

Things To Do

Bok Tower Gardens

Edward Bok, a Dutch immigrant who became editor ofThe Ladies Home Journal, wanted to thank his adopted country by establishing something of enduring beauty. In building this carillon tower and the surrounding gardens, he created one of the most romantic places in Florida. They call it the Singing Tower, a marble and coquina tower that houses 57 bronze bells. They ring out over 157 acres of tranquil gardens filled with blooms and birds, a reflecting pool, and Pinewood House, a Mediterranean Revival mansion built in 1931 and filled with Spanish, French, and Italian antiques. Come any day of the year to see the changing gardens and to hear the concerts from a secluded bench under a blooming shrub. The moonlight recitals offered a few times a year and on Christmas Eve are worth a special trip. Open 8am-6pm, every day. The last admission is at 5pm. Tickets are $4 adults and $1 children ages five-12. Admission is free Saturday morning from 8-9am. Lunch is served at the Carillon Café until 4pm. 1151 Tower Boulevard, Lake Wales, three miles north of Lake Wales off County Road 17A (Burns Avenue); 941-676-1408.

Fantasy of Flight

You don’t have to be an oldster to be charmed by World War II nostalgia and the sounds of the swing era. Plan to have a meal in the 1940s-era airport diner, with its Art Deco decor and old-fashioned comfort foods. You enter the attraction through a dark tunnel that leads to your jump into a starry night from a B-17 Flying Fortress. The trail leads you through aviation history, World War I trenches, and World War II fields, ending up in a bright hangar filled with vintage aircraft. Assembled by Kermit Weeks, this is the largest private collection of vintage aircraft in the world, including a Neuport 17, a Ford Tri-Motor, a British Spitfire MK-16, and a Short Sunderland. Most of the airplanes are originals that have been caringly restored. Some, like the Spirit of St. Louis, are faithful replicas. Around the hangar are vintage cars and other memorabilia to complete the sense of history. Admission includes rides in the tethered balloon, which rises to an altitude of about 400 feet, and unlimited missions in combat flight simulators. Ultralight flying lessons are available at added cost.

No admission is required to the Compass Rose, a restaurant styled after an airport restaurant of the 1940s, or to the gift shop, which has excellent stocks of aviation souvenirs, memorabilia, model kits, and collectibles. This easy-off, easy-on interstate exit is a perfect place to stop and stretch your legs if you’re traveling between Orlando and the Tampa area. Open daily except Christmas, 9am-5pm, but may vary seasonally. The restaurant is open daily, 8am-4pm. Admission: $18.95 adults, $16.95 seniors ages 60 and older and $9.95 children ages five-12. All prices are plus tax. Just outside of Polk City, between Tampa and Orlando off of I-4 at Exit 21; 941-894-3500; Web site www. fantasyofflight.com.

Florida Southern College

If you’re an architecture buff in general or a Frank Lloyd Wright fan in particular, you’ll find the world’s largest single-site collection of Wright buildings at Florida Southern College. Founded in 1885 and affiliated with the United Methodist Church, the college brought in the architect at the height of his fame at age 67. His master plan called for 18 buildings that he envisioned “rising out of the ground and into the sun.” Twelve of his designs were completed. His materials were steel for strength, glass to bring God’s outdoors into man’s indoors, and sand because it was native to Florida. He strode the campus for years, identified by his cape, beret, and walking stick, and was quick to wither anyone who suggested changes to his designs. Whether he was a genius or an egomaniac depends on your point of view. The buildings are interesting today and were radically innovative when they were built. They were also doomed to a lifetime of costly repairs requiring millions of dollars; some began crumbling within years of completion. The campus today struggles with leaks, rot, corrosion, crumbling concrete and a never-ending search for donations to keep ahead of the decay. In the Visitor Center, see Wright furniture and other memorabilia, and a gift shop.

The campus is open and can be entered at any point, but it’s best to stop at the administration building at the address below and get a self-guided tour map from the rack. The Visitor Center is open Tuesday-Friday, 11am-4pm; Saturday, 10am-2pm; and Sunday, 2-4pm. The campus is open all year, but some buildings are locked when school is not in session and on weekends. There is no charge.

The administration office is at 111 Lake Hollingsworth Dr., Lakeland; 941-680-4110. Web site www.flsouthern.edu. From I-4, take US 98 southbound to Ariana or Beacon streets. Turn left to Lake Hollingsworth Drive, which runs around the entire lake, to the administration building.

Polk Museum of Art

This museum is the perfect place to escape to on a hot afternoon or a cold, winter day. The building itself is a marble marvel, modern and accommodating, and it’s filled with uncrowded galleries of permanent and changing exhibits. The pre-Columbian gallery is a treasure, and don’t miss the small sculpture garden outdoors. The gift shop has nice items at realistic prices, and films are shown every Saturday and Sunday at 2pm in the auditorium. This is one of the state’s few fine arts museums that do not charge admission. Hours are Tuesday-Friday 9am-5pm, Saturday 10am-5pm; Sunday 1-5pm. Admission is free. 800 E. Palmetto St., Lakeland, behind the library on Lake Morton; 941-688-7743.

Shopping

Downtown Lakeland is known for its historic buildings and more than 50 antique shops and galleries. Call ahead for a map and spend an afternoon shopping and dining. The center of town is Munn Park; the antiques district lies just north of the park, across the railroad track. Metered parking lots are found throughout the district. For more information, call the Lakeland Chamber of Commerce at 941-688-8551.